Report: Nexon and NCsoft Trying to Acquire Valve

UPDATE: We've just received the following quote from NCsoft, which seems to quash the claims raised by this report.

The company has told IGN that "There is no truth to this rumour."

ORIGINAL STORY: A new report is claiming that two Korean game publishers, Nexon and NCsoft, are currently raising money to try and buy Valve.

According to a report on Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, the companies are generating funds through stock sales and real estate deals after CEOs from both companies met in September to plan an acquisition of the Portal maker.

In June, Nexon bought a $685 million stake in NCsoft, becoming the company's largest shareholder. It's this that the report, which comes from an anonymous industry source, cites as evidence along with Nexon's decision to sell off real estate that the company is amassing cash for something big; supposedly, the acquisition of Valve.

We reached out to NCsoft for comment but were told the company "didn't comment on rumour and speculation."

Earlier this month, reports surfaced that EA had tried to acquire Valve only for Valve co-founder Gabe Newell to share his view that the company would "disintegrate" should it ever be bought.

"It’s way more likely we would head in that direction than say, ‘Let’s find some giant company that wants to cash us out and wait two or three years to have our employment agreements terminate,'" he said.